


Benefit of the Doubt

by PaperhatsAndEvilSchemes



Series: Paperhat? I'm Down For That [7]
Category: Villainous (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Humor, M/M, buckle up kiddos, dumb unimportant ocs, the whole shebang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-24 04:35:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12005139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaperhatsAndEvilSchemes/pseuds/PaperhatsAndEvilSchemes
Summary: This one's going to be touched up later because I'm not entirely satisfied with some parts but tumblr got the rough draft so I'll put it here too i guess *aggressively jazz hands*





	Benefit of the Doubt

_One good thing about having an utterly touch-starved demon boyfriend is that it doesn’t take much to keep him happy in a physical sense. Which is great, considering Flug’s preeetty sure he’s nowhere near as ‘exciting’ as Black Hat’s used to sexually._

_But **God forbid**  you call this 'cuddling’. If anyone ever comes up with a more evil term for it, you can get back to them._

_It wasn’t uncommon that they would find themselves snuggled up together on the eldritch’s bed (because let’s face it, Flug’s is too small) and simply… well, cuddling each other. There’s really no better word for it._

_“And you know what else? The oxytocin release that this kind of physical contact produces even reduces blood pressure, lowering the risk of heart disease.” Flug rambled on, arms wrapped around the body next to him and absentmindedly fiddling with the collar of his partner’s coat. He’d been listing off random facts about the benefits of cuddling for a while now._

_“Is that right?” Black Hat murmured, one of his own arms lolled around the doctor’s shoulders, lightly stroking Flug’s arm. The eldritch looked **immensely** relaxed, a nice change of pace from his norm._

_“Mhm– Oh! And guess what else!” Flug’s eyes lit up as more info popped into his head. It was adorable, really. “Oxytocin has also been known to reduce anxiety and stress! And sharing a bed with a partner also lowers cortisol levels, which is a stress hormone!”_

_“Fascinating.” The demon rolled on top of Flug, grinning as he loomed over him. “Very good for **you** , then.” He purred, bending down to trail light kisses along the scientist’s shoulder and neck, getting a small shiver out of him._

_“Hehe. Well, I-I guess you’re not wrong.” Flug laughed quietly, closing his eyes in a complete state of peace. “Another fascinating effect of oxytocin is its ability to improve emotional perceptiveness in others. Helps people recognize facial expressions and emotions and stuff, it’s really quite interesting.”_

_“Really?” Black Hat paused, looking up thoughtfully. “… Huh.” He grinned down at Flug again, going back to kissing him. “Good for me too, then.”_

_Flug chuckled under his breath, slipping his arms once again around his partner to hold him close. His eyes shot open as yet another fact came to mind. “Oh! And statistics say that 57% of….” He trailed off when he saw the other man smirking at him now. The scientist blushed and averted his eyes. “Ehehe….. I’m talking too much, aren’t I…..”_

_“If I wanted you to shut up, I’d tell you.” The demon snickered between smooches._

_“H-Heh… I guess you would, wouldn’t you…” Flug replied, eyes slowly closing again._

_Still, Flug fell quiet for some time. They both did. But it was far from an uncomfortable silence._

_Black Hat took the time to lightly trace his fingers over Flug’s body, his sides, arms, shoulders, and chuckling at how easily he could make him shiver even being fully clothed. What a sensitive little scientist._

_He leaned down, leaving one, two, three kisses along Flug’s face and neck, then paused all of a sudden, a thought crossing his mind._

_Flug lazily opened his eyes, giving his boss a confused look._

_“……..” After a long moment’s thought, Black Hat brushed his fingertips along the rim of the paper bag, raising an eyebrow inquisitively._

_Oh._

_Flug’s confusion disappeared, replaced with a sudden understanding of what the demon was silently asking. He reached his own hand up to the bag’s edge as well, seeming hesitant._

_“You don’t have to.” Black Hat said quietly._

_“N-No… I can do it, it’s just….” Flug swallowed a lump forming in his throat and took a deep breath. “….J-Just give me a sec….”_

_He gave all the time Flug needed to get comfortable with the idea, the doctor closing his eyes for a moment and taking one more deep breath before slipping off his bag and goggles._

_“ **There’s**  my beautiful doctor.” Murmured the demon, his whole expression softening when their eyes met again._

_Flug’s face went red. His black-white eyes flicked away, and he anxiously crinkled the bag in his hands. “Ah, y-you always say that….” He muttered sheepishly._

_“Because it’s true, moron.” The eldritch snickered. Black Hat always found it funny how the simplest things could make this man blush so much. Yet another thing that bag usually hid from view. With a quiet chuckle, he leaned down, gently pressing his lips to Flug’s._

_Time stopped._

_The doctor’s tension seemed to evaporate like snow on a hot summer’s day. Anxiety from moments ago basically forgotten, the bag slipped out of Flug’s grip, placed on the sheets beside them as he melted into the deep kiss. For that moment, nothing else mattered._

_When their mouths parted, all Flug found himself doing was giving his partner a dazed stare._

_“Left you speechless already, have I?” The supervillain smirked. How such a shit-eating grin could also look so loving, Flug would never figure out._

_When the initial trance-like state wore off, Flug grinned back mischievously. “Oh get back here, you.” He laughed softly, wrapping his arms around the demon’s neck and pulling him into another affectionate kiss._

_“I have no idea how you could’ve gotten so good at this,” Flug chuckled between breaks for air._

_“What makes you say that?” Black Hat replied._

_“Pff– Well, with **those** teeth, I can’t imagine the number of times you’ve mauled people’s mouths!”_

_“Ooo, better be careful, doctor!” The eldritch grinned widely. “You’re basically making out with a bear trap, here!” At that, Black Hat gave the scientist’s bottom lip a playful nip._

_“Ah–! **Hey** **!** ” Flug giggled, lightly bapping the side of his partner’s head._

_“It’s too late! Your fate has been sealed!” Black Hat chirped jokingly, continuing to leave gentle nips and kisses along his skin._

_“Oh no!” Flug exclaimed, unable to contain his laughter and squirming beneath the larger man’s touch. “But there are so many scientific discoveries I haven’t even made yet!”_

_“ **That’s** your first concern!?” Black Hat soon couldn’t contain his laughter, either._

_“Are you actually **surprised**???”_

_Now the two of them could only just lay there laughing at each other’s ridiculousness. It was a genuinely pure moment._

_Taking a moment to catch his breath, Flug’s hand wandered over to where he had placed his paper bag. Just to feel it there - it was a comfort thing is all–_

_It… wasn’t there._

_He moved his hand all around that part of the sheets in search of it._

_It’s not there._

_It’s gone._

_It’s gone._

_**Oh fuck it’s gone–** _

_“Flug?” Black Hat felt the scientist’s body go rigid all of a sudden and tilted his head slightly in confusion, a touch of concern in his voice._

_Panic hit him like a train. Eyes going wide, his pulse began to race, body trembling and breath shortening as terror set in all at once. What was once a peaceful darkness now seemed like a suffocating swarm of shadows, crashing over him like violent waves and stirring up chaos in his mind.“Black-Black H-Hat…!” The souleater gasped, eyes fogged with a disoriented fear that seemed to tear away at anything safe and real in the room._

_Ah, crap. “Hey. **Hey**.” The demon said quietly yet firmly, brushing some hair out of Flug’s face with one hand and locking his other hand with the scientist’s. “I’m right here. You’re alright. Everything’s alright.” He moved the hand he had at the other’s hair down to Flug’s cheek, gently stroking the scarred skin beneath his eye with a gloved thumb. “You’re alright, Flug. Breathe.”_

_He tried. He tried to listen, putting every bit of focus he possibly could onto Black Hat’s voice. The doctor’s eyes squeezed shut as he buried his face in the demon’s chest, gripping his partner tightly in his attempt to hold himself together and breath coming out in shaky spurts._

_“Everything’s alright, you’re okay…” Black Hat hummed softly, brushing his fingers soothingly through Flug’s hair as his eyes scanned the floor, quickly spotting his bag. “Ah, there we go.” With one tentacle, he swept it up off the ground, lifting it over to Flug and offering a smile. “Look Flug, it’s right here, see? Just fell off the bed, that’s all.”_

_Flug’s movements were so shaky that even just taking the bag into his grip was a struggle. Black Hat gently gripped the scientist’s hand to still it, guiding it over his head and helping Flug slip the paper over his face once again. “Deep breaths, now.” He murmured._

_Very gradually, Flug’s violent trembling slowed to a stop. His breathing began to regulate. He was still tense, and rather lightheaded, but seemed to be somewhat fine otherwise now. But he didn’t once move from where he had curled up against Black Hat, forehead pressed against his chest and clinging to his coat._

_“…… Why are… Why are you so nice to me…?” The doctor whispered, voice heavy. When he felt his boss tense up at being accused of 'niceness’, Flug flinched. “……Sorry….”_

_“…. Hrrm…” With a disgruntled sigh, Black Hat carefully reached inside Flug’s bag to stroke his hair. “………. I don’t **know** why.” He muttered annoyedly._

_“… O-Oh….” Flug had almost forgotten the whole 'emotions’ thing is new to him._

_It’s been one of the most frustratingly puzzling conundrums the demon’s ever faced, if he was being honest with himself. And the fact that he couldn’t figure out something that seemed like it should be so simple pissed him the hell off. **Especially** when it had to do with something so contradictory to literally  **everything** he is._  


_“………Doesn’t matter.” With his other arm, Black Hat pulled the covers up around Flug some more and held him close, resting his chin atop the scientist’s head. “Just rest.”_

**“STOP IT.”**

Like a TV going haywire, everything in the vision glitched.

 ** _“That’s PRIVATE.”_**  Black Hat snarled fiercely, hands clutched tightly to his head and shaking with rage as he struggled to block the hero floating in the air above him out of his mind.

“So I see.  _Very_ private.” The girl replied knowingly. She wore a plain violet dress, accented nicely by her shoulder-length crimped mauve-colored hair. Her pale skin and dark, piercing eyes made her appear rather ghostly, coupled with the ominous way her dress slowly rippled in the wind.

Claire Vo'Yance. A  _very_ accomplished hero. Her expansive psychic capabilities made her quite the obstacle to face for many reasons. For one: mindreading. Or, more accurately put, mind _snooping_. Digging up whatever dirt she can use to her advantage with  _frustrating_ ease. But truth be told, the full range of what she could do was a mystery. Word has it that she has some tricks up her sleeve. And a girl with a grudge - apparently those electricity heroes Flug crushed were friends of hers. Who knew.

“Oh, but I’m sure I could find something  _far_ more… ahem… 'personal’… if I dug a little deeper, isn’t that right, Mr. Black Hat?” The heroine smirked.

“For such a  _little girl_ , you have a filthy mind,” was Black Hat’s bitter response. Normally he wouldn’t give a shit about such things, but this is  _his and Flug’s_  relationship being pried into here. And bloody hell, from the look Black Hat was giving her, she’d regret every word of it.

If she gets caught, that is. Can’t lie though, even though she won’t show it, that look is giving her  _chills_. But so long as she keeps the upper hand, she’s dearly hoping she can get out of this in one piece. Such a hope when it comes to  _this_  particular adversary is a dim one, but…. things had been working in her favor so far, at least.

She had finally found a villain stupid and greedy enough to be bribed into giving up the location of one of the Black Hat Organization’s client-meeting rendezvous, an old construction site that’s basically been given up on, gravel scattered about in forgotten mounds and long, lonely steel beams towering over the whole area. The villain even went as far as to setting up a meeting for her to 'interrupt’. It’s too bad the guy was immediately slaughtered once their ploy was found out. But at least the doctor’s been taken care of - she was aiming for a death blow admittedly, but that damn eldritch threw off her aim- and the way Black Hat  _immediately_  stationed himself in front of Flug’s unconscious body protectively, swarms of tentacles ready to strike at anything daring to come near, it certainly didn’t take Claire long to catch on to his deeper feelings for the man. Honestly, it was quite a shock, but it’s definitely something to work with.

“I can’t help but be a little  _intrigued_ …” Claire mused, hovering from side to side. “I didn’t think someone like  _you_ was  _capable_ of feeling such things for another.”

Black Hat merely rolled his eyes. “Is this going to be some attempt at 'mind games’, dear? You’re not the first to have tried something so cliché.”

“But I’m the first to have tried it when you actually have feelings to  _work_ with.” She smiled a daunting smile. “More specifically,  _love_.”

He immediately opened his mouth to deny it (or gag), but Claire cut him off. “Don’t bother denying it. You know I’m right, and I  _know_ you know I’m right.” Her eyes narrowed. “There’s no hiding your feelings from me.”

Again, Black Hat rolled his eyes. “Ugh, I am  _done_ listening to this….” On cue, a tentacle shot at Claire, aimed for the throat.

The hero, however, was fast. She teleported to a new location atop a steel beam instantly. “So. How does it feel that Flug doesn’t reciprocate your feelings?”

 _That_ got the demon to burst out laughing. “ _Ha!_  Is that really the route you’re going with!?” In a sarcastic display of overdramatization, he dropped back on some tentacles and held a hand to his forehead in a woe-is-me pose. “Alas, who could love an evil, vile monster like me? Am I cursed to be forever alone? What a tragic, sufferable existence I must lead! It eats away at me, it really does!” He then flashed her a nasty grin, all jokings now aside. “Really now, I knew you were going to be cliché, but  _that_ _really_ takes the cake.”

“It  _is_ the route I am going with.” Claire said flatly, unamused. “Because it is  _true_.” She teleported again when Black Hat tore down the beam she was balancing on. Her new location was hidden.

“You know nothing.” The eldritch growled, annoyed as though she were a bothersome fly he couldn’t quite swat.

“I know  _everything_.” She contradicted, voice echoing all throughout the clearing in a telepathic hum. “I know that Flug occupies your thoughts every other moment of the day.”

With another growl, Black Hat started lashing sporadically at everything in sight in some attempt to hit Claire.

“I know that you long for his touch more than you’ve longed for anything else in  _centuries_.”

“I know that you’re consumed with emotions that intimidate you, and yet, you would never want them to go away.”

“And most of all, I know that you have  _no idea_ what you’re doing.”

“You pretend that you do. You pretend well. But you’re just  _guessing_. Acting how you think you’re supposed to, but there’s that lingering unease. That constant fear in the back of your mind that you’ll mess something up. It  _confuses_ you. It makes you  _angry_. And it  _scares_ you.”

 _ **“Stop hiding and face me!”**_  Black Hat roared, firing a beam of heat vision across a row of beams and gravel, disintegrating them on the spot.

A chime-like giggle was the only response. “And I know that I’m actually able to get under your skin with this.” Her voice felt like it grew closer, yet seemed like a whisper now as well. “But that’s not the worst part. If I can get  _all of that_  out of someone as hard to read as  _you_ , then just  _imagine_ what I learned from Flug.”

A vicious snarl rose from the eldritch’s throat, smashing mounds of piled-up gravel with his tentacles.

“It’s laughable because you  _genuinely think he could love you._ ”

A loud smash came with the crashing down of another stretch of steel.

“What, do you really think all those years of being _bullied and abused_ by you is just forgotten? He’s  _terrified_ of you. He’s  _trapped_.”

 _“He can leave whenever he chooses.”_  Black Hat snarled.

“You think it’s that simple!?” Claire Vo'Yance snapped. “What do you think someone would assume you’d _do to them_  if they did something so bold as to  _leave_ you!? You’re a psychotic beast with a hairpin trigger, for God’s sake!”

_“Shut up.”_

_“He doesn’t **love** you! He’s  **confused** about youat  **best**! Your cruelty really knows no bounds, does it!? You’d abuse the vulnerability of someone you supposedly **love!?** ”_

_**“Shut up**.”_

__“He doesn’t feel anything **real** for you! It’s all a sick, hallucinatory  **lie!** ”_  
_

_**“SHUT UP!!!”** _

Black magic energy burst through the entire clearing, the dark force flattening all their surroundings.

Claire barely managed to form a pink energy shield around herself in time to prevent the steel structure she was hiding behind to fall on her. But that was the least of her worries - now Black Hat could  _see_ her.

Pissed as all hell, he acted immediately. His tentacles swarmed her bubble, squeezing down forcefully until it popped. Yet, he failed to feel a body–

_Ohdamnthatmotherfuckershefuckingteleported **again** –_

He quickly looked around for any sign of her, but saw nothing.  ** _Fuck_**.

Then his eyes fell on Flug.

And he felt something inside of him crack.

It  _hurt_. He had no idea what it was, but it  _hurt_.

…. Is he….. Is he actually letting some _dumb hero’s_ words get to him….? Unacceptable…..

He carefully took the unconscious doctor into his arms.

It can’t be true.

It can’t be.

She’s wrong.

With a shaky sigh, he made his way back to the mansion.

If it’s any consolation, at least Claire seems dead set on being the one to bring them down, or Flug at least. Which makes it unlikely that she’ll spread this information among her hero peers. This is  _her_ advantage, no one else’s.

……. 'Lucky she’s out for revenge’. Is that really the thought process that just happened there?

“You’d probably say something like that to try and lighten the mood, wouldn’t you, Flug.” Black Hat muttered, knowing the scientist couldn’t even hear.

~~~~~~~~~~

Did something happen during that fight a few days ago that Flug didn’t get told about?

Maybe it was just his imagination, but Black Hat just… seemed  _off_ somehow. In a way too subtle to exactly put into words…. or maybe Flug was just imagining things and worrying too much?

“Are you making me weak?”

“ _Weak?_ ” Flug looked up from his blueprints to stare at the cross-armed man standing across the table from him, confused by the sudden inquiry. “What makes you think  _that?_ ”

Black’s eyes narrowed. “Answer the question.”

…… Uhh…..

Flug blinked slowly, a faint frown creeping onto his face. “…Sir…. you’re….  _Black Hat_. Conqueror of entire  _worlds_. Do you really think  _anyone_ \- do you really think  ** _I_** would be capable of making someone like you _weak?_ ”

The demon looked away with an annoyed snort. “…… No….. I suppose not.”

The doctor’s frown deepened. “…….Why do you ask?”

“……. No reason.” Before the conversation could be further pursued, Black Hat was already out the door. “Back to work.” He said as he left.

…. That was…. odd…..

…. Well, Black Hat’s just plain odd sometimes, Flug supposed…. He chose not to read too much into it.

Which didn’t seem unreasonable. He behaved basically like normal most of the time…. right?

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Honestly, what kind of a genius doesn’t know how to tie a simple bowtie?”

“ _This_ kind of a genius.” Flug replied jokingly, pointing at himself with a confidence that was contradicted by a timid, weak grin.

Black Hat glanced up from the tie, staring blankly at the dorky doctor for a minute before shaking his head and returning his gaze to what he was doing, hat brim hiding the amused grin forming on his face. “Pff. Idiot…” He chuckled, the doctor’s grin growing slightly in turn. “And… That should do it.” The demon commented, taking a step back to admire his handiwork. Flug looked pretty damn good all dressed up like that, if he did say so himself. He should really bring him to formal events more often, it’s a shame he hasn’t come to many before.

“Not bad at all.” Black Hat smirked.

The doctor looked down sheepishly, fiddling with the tux’s cufflinks in an attempt to distract himself from the subtle blush creeping up on him. “I guess, if you  _like_ looking like you’re about to sleaze somebody into a shady business deal 24/7….” He then cast his boss a playful smirk of his own.  "Oh wait.“

"Hey, you can  _never_ be too prepared to sleaze!” The eldritch snapped before picking up his cane from the wall it had been leaning against and twirled it idly as he headed for the door, sighing. “But something tells me there’ll be none of that today, knowing the Dappertons. Probably will have people too busy mingling and dancing and such–”

….. Did Flug just  _twitch?_

He did. He actually  _twitched_ at the word 'dance’, something the demon  _certainly_ didn’t fail to notice. Glancing back to get a better look at his employee, a mischievously toothy grin started to form. “Something wrong, doctor? Not afraid of a little  _waltz_ , are you?”

Flug immediately avoided eye contact. “Ah, p-please….” He muttered, rubbing his neck awkwardly and looking to the ground. “I-I definitely won’t be doing any of  _that_ ….”

“And why’s that?”

No response. Flug just went back to fiddling his cufflinks awkwardly.

“You….  _do_ know  _how_ to dance, don’t you?”

Evidently not, judging from how he shrank down slightly and still wouldn’t answer or look at him.

Black Hat’s grin only widened, a low, amused purr rumbling in his throat as he stepped towards the doctor. “You  _don’t?_ ” Ooohoho, how  _precious_. Presented with an opportunity, he made a slow saunter towards Flug.

“A-And what, you _do?_ ” Flug countered embarrassedly. “You d-don’t really strike me as the dancing t-type.”

“Of course I know how! What sort of gentleman doesn’t know a simple dance?”

“ _Gentleman?_ ” Flug smirked, a playful tint making its way past the nervousness reflecting in his goggles. “You don’t actually mean  _yourself_ , do you?”

“Doctor!” Black Hat gasped, putting a hand to his chest in feigned offense, “Of  _course_ I am!” He then did a graceful twirl, cane apparating in hand and tapping it to the ground as he struck a comically dramatic pose. “Why, don’t you know that  _anyone_  dressed in such a  _classy_  suit and top hat is automatically considered a gentleman? It’s common knowledge!” With a wink, he added, “And a cane gives you bonus points for distinguishedness~”

The doctor couldn’t hold back a giggle, eventually just turning into flat-out laughter. “O-Oh my  _god_ , Black Hat…!” He grinned, covering his mouth area with a hand as if that would muffle his smile.

Black Hat’s expression softened with a warm fondness. Why on earth he managed to get such satisfaction from actually invoking  _happiness_ in Flug rather than the terror he normally liked to put people through, he’d  _never_ figure out. But that mischievous smirk was quick to return. “We really should do something about this, though.”

“Ah, pfft…” Flug crossed his arms, once more looking away. “I-It’d just be a waste of time. I don’t need to know such a useless s-skill.”

“Useless?” His boss snickered. “My dear, dear doctor, I would have thought  _you_ of all people would see the practicality behind practicing such an activity!” With another twirl of his cane, his devious grin grew. “Why, there are  _many_ benefits. It improves one’s overall coordination, is a unique way of exercise, betters nonverbal communication skills, helps build confidence, something  _you_ desperately need….” He quirked an eyebrow. “Need I go on?”

Flug still didn’t seem enthusiastic about the idea, but found he couldn’t offer much of a counterargument, either. All he did in response is shrug slightly, still avoiding eye contact.

“Oh come on now, and what if some pretty girl asks you to dance, hmm?” Black Hat went on, striding closer with that terribly amused smirk. “It would be  _rude_ to refuse~”

“I-I don’t care about being a little rude at that point…. B-Besides, I’m not the type t-to get 'pretty girls’ asking me things like that.”

The demon remained undiscouraged. He’d win this debate yet, he was sure of it. At this point, Black Hat stood as close to the doctor as when he had been tying that bowtie. Voice low and grin as smug as ever, he purred, “And if  _I_ asked you?”

A flush of heat rose in Flug’s cheeks again. He looked down at his fidgeting hands. “D-Doesn’t matter. I-I don’t know  _how_. Still couldn’t say yes.”

“It’s never too late to start.” Eyebrow raised, the eldritch leaned forward with a small bow and offered his hand. “So what do you say, doctor? May I have this dance?”

Well, if Flug’s face wasn’t red  _before_ …

After a long moment of flustered staring, Flug timidly placed his hand into the demon’s. Black Hat purred victoriously, stepping forward to close what space was left between them and raising their locked hands a bit above shoulder height. He guided Flug’s free hand to his own shoulder before gently gripping the scientist’s waist. Not the  _most_ correct posture, but hell, this isn’t a tournament.

“It’s really quite simple.” He reassured the all-too-embarrassed doctor. “Just follow my lead.”

As to be expected, Flug’s movements were very stiff and awkward at first. He stumbled, leaning too heavily in his partner’s movements, tripped up here and there…. but with Black Hat feeding him tips and words of encouragement, he gradually got into the swing of it.

“Wrong way.”

“The other foot, doctor.”

“A little more space between your steps.”

“Much better.”

Some way, somehow, the two of them were suddenly gliding in graceful circles across the room as if they had done this a million times before. It was as smooth as a song. They used their heartbeats like a metronome, their movements as a melody, each step holding a steady rhythm. Black Hat even added a flourish here and there, guiding the doctor into a half-turn, then a spin… Honestly, Flug was surprised he didn’t stumble again and mess it all up. The movements were still fluid and graceful as ever.

Eventually, they slowed to a stop, simply standing in the position they started in.

“See?” Black Hat purred quietly. “That wasn’t so hard.”

“I-I suppose it w-wasn’t…” admitted the doctor.

Silent again, neither of them looked away from each other’s eyes.

“…. We’re, um…. W-We’re going to be late….” Flug pointed out with a shy smile.

“Hmm, you may be right.” Black Hat replied, giving the doctor a cool smile of his own and seeming anything but worried. “I’m sure they can wait a few minutes.”

“Showing up fashionably late, eh?” chuckled Flug softly, “Cheeky devil.”

With his grip on the demon’s shoulder, Flug pulled himself up just a bit, placing a gentle, loving kiss on his devious grin.

It wasn’t devious for long. His smile softened almost instantaneously into something more genuine. In that moment, Flug smiled back in much the same way.

But the moment didn’t last.

_He doesn’t feel anything **real** for you. It’s all a sick, hallucinatory  **lie**._

Claire’s words echoed mercilessly in the back of his mind, and his smile was quick to fade.

The sudden somberness breaking its way into the demon’s expression definitely didn’t go unnoticed. Flug frowned in confusion. “Is something wrong….?”

“…. Ah…. No…. No, not at all.” He forced himself to smile again before turning to go out the door, but Flug could tell it was weaker this time. “Come on, then. We’d best make sure Demencia and 5.0.5. are ready.”

“…. Uh…. Yes, sir….”

That was….. very odd…. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ahh, Mr.Black Hat. Good of you to come. Master Demitrius will be pleased. All he asks is that you stay out of his labs, but otherwise, feel free to roam.”

Leave it to Demitrius Dapperton to have the most typical-looking butler in the world.

“I’d bet anything that his name is 'Smithers’ or 'Jeeves’,” Demencia snickered as they entered the building, basically bouncing up and down. She wore a knee-length dress with terribly loud neon greens, pinks, and yellows, laced with spikes along the shoulders and waist. Just her style. (What do you  _mean_ this is a  _formal_ party?)

5.0.5., on the other hand, didn’t have much in terms of clothing. The dressiest thing he owned was that maid suit. So, uh,  _naturally_ he simply wore that.

This place was huge. If the word 'extravagant’ could be made into a house, the Dapperton’s would definitely be that house. It was complete with spiral staircases and golden handrails, tiled floors shiny enough to see your reflection in, rows of long tables with silky white tablecloth coverings and a selection of wines and punch drinks, and a grand crystal chandelier towering over all the guests.

Ah, the guests. Black Hat recognized almost every villain in this building.

 _Ugh_.

“Sooooo….. Remind me why we’re here, again?” Flug asked, noticing the distasteful look on their boss’s face.

“Our presence was specifically requested by another high-status villain’s company.” Black Hat said as he scooped himself some punch. “It would be unprofessional not to attend.”

Reputation is important, after all. Black Hat may be a world-destroying demon that really doesn’t need a decent rep, but he likes to have one nonetheless.

“Black Hat!”

The quartet turned their attention to the villain approaching them with what looked to be a bodyguard of sorts by his side.

“….. Demitrius.” Black Hat muttered in turn, sipping from his drink.

The first villain, Demitrius, wore a white-and-cream colored suit with a short dress cape, top half of his face covered by a fancy masquerade-type mask matching the color scheme. The bodyguard (someone Black Hat didn’t recognize, he must be new) must have been at least seven feet in height, very very muscular, and wearing a black tux. The most noteworthy feature on him was that fiery red mustache and short beard.

“I’d like you to meet my newest addition, Hazardstorm!” Demitrius stated, gesturing to the large man.

Black Hat gave him one disinterested glance, then looked back to the Dapperton. Demitrius had already moved on to greeting the other three. Chipper fellow, that man.

“Still the same old three employees, huh?” He chirped, glancing at Black hat again.

“Three is more than enough.”

“Well, to each their own. It seems to be working for you– Oh! Hello!” Just like that, Demitrius and Hazardstorm were off to greet the next entry of guests.

But it wasn’t long before they were approached by another talkative villain.

This was going to be a long night.

—-

“So you’re the brilliant mind behind Black Hat’s products, Dr.Flug?”

“W-Well, Black Hat’s the one that comes up with what to make most of the time… I-I just bring those visions into reality, I g-guess.”  Flug mumbled, staring into his punch glass rather than at any of the villains talking to him.

Black Hat stayed nearby, as did Demencia, who’d been chatting up some other girls in the crowd. 5.0.5. had wandered off to clean up some spills that had been left, living up to that maid attire.

“Aw, look at him being all modest.” One of the men said. “Give yourself some credit, boy. You make some amazing stuff.”

“Oh yes!” Another one piped up. “I’m a frequent user of that medusa machine you designed, and it never fails to make my day!”

“Um… T-Thank you….”

“That bear is one of your creations too, doctor?”

Flug glanced across the room to where 5.0.5. had been cleaning. “Y-Yeah.”

“A unique creature.” The villain marveled. “I’d love to buy one of those.”

“B- _Buy?_  5.0.5.?” Flug sputtered in surprise. “We, uh, we don’t s-sell– H-He’s one of a kind, sir.”

“Name your price. I’m sure I could afford it.”

“As the doctor said, he’s not for sale,” Black Hat said curtly, striding to Flug’s side. “We use him ourselves.”

Catching the tail end of the conversation, Demencia shot a quick comment in. “Sorry suckers! Maybe try the woods, plenty of bears in there.”

That was the end of  _that_ conversation. Flug shot Black Hat a quick grateful look while no one was looking.

“Okay, so the doctor builds, the blueberry cleans…. What does the lizard girl do?” One tall, jaded man asked, giving her an intrigued look and walking closer to get a better look at her.

“Demencia? She–”

“No, wait! Let me guess.” He shot Black Hat a suggestive smirk. “A personal courtesan.”

Both Black Hat and Flug looked very unimpressed, and Demencia even gave him a questionable glance at that comment. “I assure you, she’s nothing of that sort.” Black Hat answered starkly.

“Right, and I work for heroes.” The man walked away again, but not before–

_Holy shit did he just slap her ass right in front of them_

Flug’s jaw dropped, completely appalled. Black Hat’s face went blank, almost not believing that just happened. The other villains around them also looked vaguely surprised.

Demencia whirled around right away with a hostile hiss, pouncing on the individual. Despite the drastic size difference, Demencia had him pinned in seconds much to his surprise.

“If you  _must_ know…” Black Hat purred, walking over to their side. “Demencia is my… hmm. How to put it….  _pest control._ ” Leaning over the pinned man, he grinned. “And she could rip you to shreds like  _paper_. It would be in your best interest to be mindful of  _where you put your hands_.”

“ _Excuse me!_ ” Demitrius’s voice cut through the crowd from where he sat atop his bodyguard, catching everyone’s attention. “May I remind everyone that this is a  _peaceful_ gathering? Let’s not turn on each other, hmm?”

Demencia reluctantly got off of her target, blowing a raspberry at him as he scuttled away and growling.

“Maybe you shouldn’t let such  _questionable company_ into your home if you want to avoid a scuffle, hmm?” The demon quipped back.

“Look, let us just…. ahem…..” Demitrius cleared his throat awkwardly. “My chefs have finished with tonight’s dinner. Let’s just let bygones be bygones and dine together!”

Uuugh. Long night is feeling longer by the minute.

—-

At least the food was good.

The conversation, not so much. Some wretch named Ethereal Maw or something stupid was Black Hat’s newest source of annoyance. Even though his words were not even directed at him.

“I just think I’d have a lot to offer you, you know?” The snappily dressed gentleman sitting across from them laughed, attention completely grabbed by Dr.Flug. “Ever considered a change of employment?”

“N-Not really.” Flug replied, poking at his food with a fork rather than eating it.

“Well, it’s just  _conjecture_ , but I think you’d be a lot happier working for me!” The man laughed, keeping tabs on Black Hat out of the corner of his eye and clearly trying to play this all off as a 'mere hypothetical situation’. “I certainly wouldn’t kick ya during an ad, that’s for sure!” He laughed again.

“I’m h-happy where I am.”

“Aw c'mon doc, humor me.” Maw grinned. “Whaddaya get paid, huh? I would gladly triple it.”

“U-Um…”

“Somehow I doubt that.” Black Hat finally spoke up, leaning forward with a bitter smile. “At the rate  _your_ company’s been going, you’d have Flug broke within a week.”

Ethereal Maw paused, then reached for his drink. “At least I’d keep 'im in one piece.” He mumbled subtly as he took a sip.

Something about that comment almost made him snap. Made him think of Claire somehow. Made him _fucking furious._ The demon’s body tensed, and he looked about ready to strangle everybody in this room.

With a worried look, Flug placed his hand on his boss’s knee beneath the table. The demon let out a slow, quiet breath of annoyance, then slipped his own hand underneath to place onto Flug’s.

Just a while longer. Try not to kill anybody.

—-

Finally this thing looked like it was about to be wrapped up. People seemed about ready to disperse, just having a last few drinks and mingling while everyone was all together.

Hey, looks like the Black Hat quartet might be able to get through this without any other annoyan-

Nope, take it back.

“I don’t see why Demitrius was so excited to have you here.” Hazardstorm growled. He had been asked to stay put while Demitrius said his farewells to some friends that had to go early, and he just so happened to find himself next to Black Hat and Flug, who had stepped aside to avoid people. (Look how well that worked out.)

Black Hat raised an eyebrow. “Bold little thing, aren’t you.” He said patronizingly.

“You’re one to talk.” Hazard retorted. “The Dappertons have  _standards_. You were told this was a formal event, and none of your staff dressed properly for the event.” He glared across the room to where Demencia was crawling walls, not hard to spot since she stuck out like a sore thumb. “Your 'pest control’ came dressed like she was going to a punk club, you brought a cross-dressing teddy, and  _that_ ….” His attention turned to Flug, the doctor flinching slightly in response. “… he’s got a damned  _bag_ over his head, for hell’s sake! It’s an  _insult!_ ”

Hazardstorm’s next move was a big mistake.

He took a step towards the nerve-wracked doctor, reaching for his bag with every intent to rip it off, but Black Hat was quicker and absolutely out of patience. He grabbed the arm reaching for Flug, claws unsheathed, and tightened his iron-hard grip.

The yell of pain from the bodyguard caught everyone’s attention.

“It’s a shame you feel that way. I find the bag quite  _charming_ , actually.” He hissed, a sadistic grin stretching across his face. He pierced through Hazard’s skin with those claws, earning another yell.

“Black Hat, what–!?” Demitrius called over upon seeing the scene.

“One moment, Dapperton. I’m teaching your newbie a lesson in  _who his superiors are._ In fact, come to think of it…” Throwing the huge man aside with ease, Black Hat’s eyes darted around the room, “… I want to make something quite clear to everyone, because it appears  _some_ of you have forgotten.” A tentacle burst from his back, slithering over to Hazardstorm and coiling around his neck, lifting him in the air to make an example of him. “I want  _every single one of you_ to keep in mind that I am the top villain around here and around  _anywhere_. By extension, I’d have  _thought_ you would all have the  _ **common sense**_  to treat my employees with some  _shred_ of respect.” The tentacle around Hazardstorm’s neck tightened, made clear by how he gasped desperately for air.  _“I could end everyone in this room effortlessly. You should all consider yourselves **terribly lucky**  that I allow you to live.”_

 _“Now…. **That. Being. Said** …._” His eyes narrowed along with the growing hostility in his voice as he looked around the room, arms held out in question. “Anyone  _else_ have anything derogatory to do or say in regards to my staff?  _Go ahead. You have my **full attention**_.”

Silence. No one dared breathe a word or even move.

“……. That’s what I thought.” Carelessly tossing the large man to the floor, he moved over to the shaking Flug and steered him out by the shoulders onto a vacant balcony to calm down.

—-

“A-Are you feeling okay…?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking  _you_ that?” Black Hat replied, staring out at the night sky darkly.

“…. I-I’m okay….” Flug said, frowning. “You just seem…. I don’t know…. more  _bothered_ than you usually get….?”

“….. Tch.” The demon turned back towards the building. “I’m just tired of these damn people. Come back inside when you’re ready.” With that, he reluctantly wandered back inside, only leaving Flug more confused.

—-

_Damn idiots, stupid, all of them…._

The eldritch took to wandering the corridors aimlessly. Thankfully, that outburst had got people staying away from him, so he could brood in silence, at least–

“Hey, B.H.!”

No such luck.

“What do you want, Demencia?” He responded, turning to the girl as she seemed to appear out of thin air on the wall beside him. Little known fact about the girl, but camoflage was one of her many handy lizard abilities. Ironic, considering her usually eye-catching colors.

“Oh, don’t be like that!” She crooned, leaning in close but giving enough space as to not get her eyes clawed out. “I think I found something that might cheer you up, actually~” She leaned over to his ear and whispered something.

Black Hat’s expression slowly changed from one of irritation to one of sly delight. “Ooooh, now that  _is_ interesting.”

—-

…….. Did Flug miss something?

By the time he came back inside, everyone was acting  _really_ fucking weird. Like they were all  _stupidly_ drunk.

“Y'know wha’, I don’ even- *hic* - _like_ the Dappertons.” He overheard one villain say to another. “I just come to these things for the free food an’-an’ to pick pockets, hehe~”

“Tha’s nothing!” The other replied. “I was- I was gon’, um… aw shucks, there was some'un I was supposed ta snuff, but I never got the chance, ha…”

……… Um.

The doctor chose to keep to himself until he found someone he recognized. Drunk people are far from ideal company.

_………….. Is that Demencia and Black Hat taking selfies with Ethereal Maw?_

“Do tell me more, I’m sure the Joker would  _love_ to hear about how 'attractive’ you find his thighs.” Black Hat could hardly say it with a straight face, and Demencia was rolling on the ground in her laughter, barely able to hold her phone camera steady.“

Oh my god, Maw was  _actually going on a tangent about Joker’s thighs what the **actual fuck is going on** –_

"Uuuuuh…. guys?”

“Flug! Oh my  _God_ , check this out!” Demencia chirped, hopping to her feet to show him a small, empty glass container.

He read the label slowly. “…..  _Truth serum?_ ” Flug looked at Demencia with raised eyebrows.

“Yup! Found it while, uh, 'exploring’. And by that I mean snooping around Dapperton’s labs. Aaaaand spiked all the drinks. Aaaaaaaaaaand may or may not have stuck some in my pockets.”

“You sure you didn’t take some of that _yourself?_ ” Flug sputtered, examining the label. “Holy crap, how much did you give to everybody? It says here that taking too much can cause effects of  _intoxication_.”

Demencia shrugged, sticking her tongue out casually.“

Flug could only facepalm.

"Oh doctor, once you see all the  _stellar_ video footage we got, I’m sure you’ll approve!” Black Hat laughed with a shit-eating grin. "We should have brought Cam-Bot!“

……. Well….. At least Black Hat seems happier…. Better than going home on a sour note, at least.

Still need to figure out what’s up with him, though….

~~~~~~~~

This is too weird.

It’s been a week since the party. Flug hadn’t found the right time to ask his boss what’s going on with him- he honestly hadn’t thought to for a while- but he just got his paycheck, and this is just….  _weird_.

Flug had been staring at the slip for a while now trying to figure it out, but there was only one place to find the answer.

Taking a quiet breath, he gave Black Hat’s door a few knocks.

"Enter.”

Out of habit, the scientist nervously poked his head inside before actually entering. “M-Mr. Black Hat….?”

The demon was at his desk, nose (or lack of one) stuck in some probably work-related papers as usual. His gaze flicked uncertainly to the door at the sound of Flug’s voice. “…..What can I do for you, doctor?”

Flug’s frown deepened. The more interaction he got out of his boss lately, the more he could tell  _something_ was off. Everything about him, his tone, his posture, even just the way he  _looked_ at Flug, something was  _very off._  But  _what?_

…..For now, the doctor should focus on the matter at  _hand_ … Stepping inside, he slowly pulled the small slip of paper out of his coat pocket. “I-It’s about my p-paycheck, sir-”

“Is it not enough?” The eldritch stood up, voice suddenly struck with something Flug couldn’t quite  _place_. It didn’t feel right to say  _anxiety_. Maybe… like…  _solicitousness…?_  “I’m sure we can work something out- I can give you  _more_ –”

“Wh-?! No!” Flug piped up, cutting him off. “You already pay me  _plenty!_  That’s what I came to  _see_ you about!” With a confused frown, he continued, “I-I never  _put in_  a request for a raise, sir. T-There must have been some mistake…?”

…. Okay. Not a mistake. That much Flug could tell by the awkward yet somehow still stoic silent stare he was getting.

“….. Sir, this isn’t….” Flug’s frown deepened. “This isn’t about what Ethereal Maw said at that party, is it?”  

“That–! Of  _course_ not!” Black Hat sputtered in defense, crossing his arms. “I just- I– Business has been going exceptionally  _well_ lately, that’s all! So what if I put a little extra into your earnings!?”

It was a weak defense. There’s been nothing special about the number of sales lately, they’ve been pretty average. Flug knows that, he’s in charge of keeping everything stocked, after all.

The scientist walked over to Black Hat’s desk, placing the paycheck down. His concerned gaze did not once fall from the demon, even as his boss avoided eye contact to frustratedly stare at the paper. “I’m perfectly happy with my normal pay, Black Hat.” He said softly. “If you have the extra funds, sir, then put them towards something else. Lab equipment, building supplies, I don’t know, just…. something else. It wouldn’t look good if you started playing favorites financially among employees.”

Black Hat said nothing. He just stared in frustration at the check laid out in front of him.

_Why wouldn’t he just take it? He **has** to._

_How the hell **else** is Black Hat supposed to make him stay without actually  **making him stay?**_

_Isn’t money how you **do** that? Bribery? Playing off of people’s greed?  **Something?** Why won’t he  **just–!?**_

“Sir?”

The demon snapped out of his thoughts when he had been addressed, flicking his gaze up to Flug again. He was  _definitely_ looking worried now.

“Y-You’ve been acting  _really_ strangely these past few weeks….” The scientist commented quietly, eyebrows furrowed with concern. “W-What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wron-”

_“Stop lying to me.”_

There was a sudden forcefulness to Flug’s tone that actually gave Black Hat pause. The scientist’s face fell with some sort of sad annoyance, and he leaned forward just very slightly. “There’s  _obviously_ something b-bothering you. What is it?”

Shit, well okay. Starting to feel a little called out, here. The eldritch bared his fangs, probably about to keep insisting that nothing was wrong, but he immediately dropped whatever sentence he was about to hiss as Flug circled around the desk, stepping closer to him.

Not only did he shut up, he  _stepped back_  in response. Why did he do  _that?_  This is just  _Flug_ we’re talking about! Yet for some ungodly reason, he found himself backing up against the wall as the smaller man approached him, maroon curtains pressed against his back as he had nowhere left to back away.

“Black Hat, _talk to me._ ” Flug demanded, crossing his arms as he now stood mere inches away from his boss, staring directly into his eyes with an unrelenting persistence. “ _Please._ ”

He could produce no words. He only stared blankly at the scientist before him until his fangs were again bared in a frustrated snarl. “You’re…  _You’re testing my patience, Flug._ ” He finally managed to growl. Even so, however, there was an unmistakable lack of the usual fire one could hear in his voice when his anger grew.

That didn’t go unnoticed. “…. As you are mine.” Flug said quietly, keeping a level gaze on the demon’s face. “But lucky for us, I’ve got enough for the both of us.” Expression softening, his voice only went lower. “ _Please_ , Black Hat. You’re  _really_ starting to worry me.”

Fuck. He’s  _really_ going to have to talk about this, isn’t he.  _Fuck_.

“Eughhh…” Black Hat’s eyes wandered impatiently around the room as he tried to conjure up some sort of excuse,  _any_ excuse–

“Hey B.H., this a bad time?”

 _Oh praise Satan_ , Black Hat  _never_ thought he would be so relieved to hear Demencia’s voice come through on the intercom. “ _Demencia!_ Not a bad time at all!” Before Flug could even react, the demon slipped by him in a puff of Black smoke, reappearing next to his desk and sliding the red skull aside to better access the speaker system beneath. “What is it?”

“Well, there’s this guy here saying he had an appointment scheduled for t'day, and he was in the neighbourhood, so he dropped by early. Should I kick him out and tell 'im to come back at the proper time, or–”

“ _No!_ ” He exclaimed immediately, but he was quick to adopt a more professional tone. “Ah, I mean… If he’s already here, might as well get it over and done with, no? Tell him I’ll be right down.” Black Hat settled the skull back into its place and immediately headed for the door.

“Black Hat–”

“Sorry, doctor. Duty calls. You understand, I’m sure.” Black Hat cut Flug off before he could even make a protest, stopping only for a moment to flash him a shaky, forced grin. “We’ll talk later, perhaps.”

Just like that, he was gone. Fucking…  _unbelievable_. Flug almost wanted to  _punch_ Demencia next time he saw her–

_…… Okay….. No problem. Deep breaths. You can talk to him later. Don’t let this get to you._

With a heavy sigh, Flug reluctantly accepted this momentary defeat. For now, back to the lab he went.

~~~~~~~~~

They never did talk about it later. It always seemed to be a bad or awkward time to bring it up. Black Hat avoiding seeing the scientist alone anymore and simply dismissing the conversation whenever they  _were_ alone didn’t help matters any.

At some point, Flug couldn’t help but wonder….

…. Is it….. is it something  _he’s_ doing……?

Is he…. driving Black Hat away somehow…….?

Is Black Hat just….. just….. getting  _tired_ of him…….?

 _Bored_ ………..?

…….. ……….. ………..

……………… Probably……………

~~~~~~~~~

“I don’t  _need_ you, you know.”

The statement came completely out of the blue. Flug hadn’t even realized he was in the lab until he had spoken. He shifted slightly on the ladder he’d been using to make adjustments to the Medusa device, glancing at his boss in the doorway. “S… Sorry, sir….?”

Black Hat leaned against the door frame, casually examining his claws. He didn’t even give Flug a glance as he continued to speak. “I’ve  _always_ gotten along just fine on my own. You’re no  _exception_.” His eyes narrowed, but still avoided looking Flug’s way. “ _I don’t **need** you._”

The scientist was quiet, unblinking as he stared forlornly Black Hat’s way. He returned his attention to the machine, forcing himself not to tremble as he worked away at the mechanism. “I know.” He mumbled weakly.

Black Hat tensed. Finally he looked at the doctor. Even though Flug was turned away, the demon could see his scientist’s demeanor fall apart with those quiet words. How his shoulders slumped with a self-accepted defeat, how his wrist shook ever so slightly as he worked at the machine’s wires, how he _very intentionally_  had every part of himself turned away from Black Hat….

It made the demon feel sick.

_I know._

What kind of an answer was _that?_  This isn’t what he was going for at  _all_.

…. What  _was_ he going for with this, anyways….? Should he even be  _surprised_ ….?

Black Hat looked away, stomach knotted with instant regret, yet too prideful to try and take back what he literally  _just_ said. He opened his mouth to attempt to say something else instead, but could not bring himself to, closing it again.

Fuck.

Not knowing what to do, he turned away and walked out of the lab, leaving Flug alone again.

The doctor didn’t even watch him go. He just waited until the click of shoes faded down the hall, then descended the ladder with a shaky sigh. To Flug, all his fears had just been confirmed.

Black Hat doesn’t want to see him anymore.

~~~~~~~~~~

He’s been distracted.

Unfocused.

Unable to  _work_.

He found himself trailing off mid-conversation  _far_ too often with clients, can’t even look at a goddamn  _bill_ without the words blurring up in the unsettled stew of his mind.

And that conversation with Flug yesterday just seemed to make these recent stresses tenfold.

 _Unacceptable_. What is this  _feeling_ eating away at him? Why won’t this _stop?_

Why did he find himself trembling at his desk at three in the morning, head in hands, consumed with thoughts of Flug, of Claire, of losing something so  _dear_ to him, it was  _too much_ –  _ **Overwhelming**_ –

… What was….. What was that suffocating weight in his throat and chest all of a sudden..? And why did his eyes feel so…..?

He slowly shifted one of his hands to testily rub beneath his unconcealed eye– and his fingers recoiled in disgust as his suspicions were confirmed. A surge of anger flared up within the demon.

No. _No. **NO**._  Absolutely  ** _NOT._**

_He does not **DO THAT–**_

—

Across the mansion, Flug also found himself awake. On his way to the demon’s office, actually. Black Hat never sleeps, anyway. He wouldn’t be waking him up or anything.

And honestly…. Flug couldn’t bear to put this off any longer. He just…. If Black Hat really wants to break up, he needs to know. Wants this to be over with as soon as possible.

Yet his legs felt like lead as he somberly wandered to his office. He still doesn’t know what he’s done  _wrong_. He doesn’t  _want_ this to end. He’d prefer  _anything_ to that. And still a part of him prayed that his partner’s strange behavior was about something,  _anything_ else.

All too soon, Flug found himself at Black Hat’s door.

Well….. This is it…..

Heart heavy in his chest, Flug placed a hand on the sleek, golden doorknob. And it felt like an eternity just in the time it took to force himself to open the door.

_Crunch_

Fuck, what was  _that_ _?_

He had walked into a nightmare show. Spiked tentacles slashed across the room, ripping everything in their paths apart. That crunch Flug heard must’ve been the torn-in-half desk now carelessly dropped to the floor in shambles. There were ripped curtains, shattered glass, broken paintings….

And through it all, Black Hat was… sitting curled up in a corner, face hidden in his hands and just letting the tentacles coming out of him run amuck. “This is not allowed this is not allowed this is  _not allowed this is **NOT allowed–!** ”_ He was repeating to himself as he trembled, something definitely off about his voice. He sounded like he was….. c….  _crying….?_ But that can’t be right, Black Hat doesn’t…..  _ **do**_ that….

As far as Flug could tell, his boss hadn’t even  _noticed_ him come in. “B-B-Black H-Hat….?” The scientist called nervously, voice barely a whisper.

It was enough to get his attention. The tentacles froze mid-destruction, and Black Hat’s head shot up to stare at the door in shock.

Flug’s eyes widened. He  _is_ crying. And  _jesus_ , from the looks of those wounds on his face, it looks like he was trying to claw his  _eye_ out or something. “W-Woah, uh…” Flug stepped inside, expression filling to the brim with worry. “B-Black Hat, what-”

_Whoosh!_

The tentacles turned to whirling smoke in an instant, whipping up a whirlwind of broken office debris as Black Hat darted out the window with a crash. “ _Black Hat!_ ” The doctor ran over to the window frantically, cursing under his breath as he lost sight of his boss.

The smoke cloud of a form the demon took disappeared instantly in the city night, but that didn’t stop Flug from darting out of the manor in pursuit.

He must have been searching for hours, looking for any sign of a mentally distraught supervillain eldritch, a hint of destruction somewhere,  _anything_ …. but it was hopeless. There was no trace of Black Hat anywhere.

It was probably around seven when the sun began to rise over the city’s tallest buildings. It was probably around seven that Flug conceded to the hopelessness of this search. It was probably around seven-thirty when he made it back to the mansion.

Demencia wasn’t awake yet, thankfully, but 5.0.5. was certainly up and about, greeting the doctor at the door with a worried and confused bear noise and hug.

“You wouldn’t happened to have seen Black Hat recently, have you….?” Flug sighed tiredly, returning the bear’s hug. When 5.0.5. shook his head no, Flug bit his tongue in frustration. Part of him was tempted to head back outside and keep looking, but that option seemed to go out the window as 5.0.5. hoisted him up and started carrying him down the halls. “W-Woah, 5.0.5., where are we going?”

The bear took him to his bedroom and plopped him down on his plane-shaped bed. “Growrr!” 5.0.5. barked, expression comically stern.

Ah. Is it that obvious that the doctor’s been running around the streets all night? He took off his lab coat and sighed. “Okay okay, I’ll get some sleep…. but you _tell me_  when Black Hat gets back! Deal?”

5.0.5. nodded, and that was that.

~~~~~~~~~~

The doctor awoke later that day to the distant shredding of a guitar by Demencia in some other part of the manor. Groggily sitting up, he glanced at the clock on his nightstand.

Ten past two PM.

“Bwar?”

He turned his attention to the bear at his door. The animal gestured vaguely somewhere in the direction of Black Hat’s office. “Borohbwo brr.”

“What?” Flug bolted up immediately. “When did he get back?”

When all the bear could do was shrug unknowingly, Flug donned his coat and was off to the demon’s office in an instant.

Alright. Time to try this again.

~~~~~~~~~~

Focus.

 _Focus_ , damn you. This is  _important_.

Scolding himself barely seemed to be working. He was still struggling to sift through his stockpiled paperwork, failing in his attempts to muffle the buzzing of built-up stress from the back of his mind distracting him.

_For **fuck’s** sake. This is  **ridiculous**._

With an irritated growl, Black Hat roughly dropped the form on his desk and held his head in his hands, cursing under his breath.

It should  ** _not_** be this difficult to pull himself together.  _Fucking **Hell** –_

There it was. The inevitable knock on the door to ruin his concentration even further.

“ _I’m **busy**._ ” He snapped, glaring at the source of the noise.

At first, he thought that was that since he heard nothing further, and he started to sort through his papers, but paused when he heard someone entering the room.

 _“The **fuck** did I  **just say** –”_ Black Hat barked exasperatedly, snapping his attention back to the door. His gaze landed on none other than Dr.Flug, doing that thumb-twiddling thing he’d do when he’s nervous. The demon narrowed his eyes and hissed,  _“What do you want?”_

Flug, despite his obvious nervousness, managed to carry with him a stern expression. “W-We need to talk.”

_“We do **not**.”_

The scientist took a step forward, eying the demon’s face. It looks like he’s self-healed those claw marks from last night, but… “ _Yes we do_. I  _know_ something’s wrong… J-Just–”

**_“Get out.”_ **

“Black Hat–”

Flug shut up instantly when Black Hat stood and slammed his hands on the desk. **“I SAID** _ **GET OUT!!!** ”_ ****

A flurry of tentacles shot from the demon’s back, swirling around the room until they loomed threateningly over Flug, making him flinch back. It was as if the whole room was suddenly shadowed by some hostile darkness, a chilling cold tainting the atmosphere. One look at Black Hat’s fury-filled face stirred even more dread within Flug…. at first.

 _Then_ he saw the  _pain_ , hidden beneath the anger. The pain perpetuating this outburst. The pain that had been slowly building up over the weeks. The pain that the scientist couldn’t tell where it was coming from, but he could now see it clear as day, even if Black Hat desperately wanted him not to.

And Flug  _knew_ he couldn’t leave him like this.

“I-I-I’m n-not….” The doctor paused, taking a deep breath, and firming his stance. “… I’m not going anywhere.” He said sturdily. It took every inch of courage he could muster not to flinch back at the vicious snarl he was met with in return. With another deep breath in an attempt to keep himself calm, Flug started walking forwards.

That’s when the tentacles came at him, shooting like bullets. Flug instinctively braced himself for the worst, eyes squeezing shut and shielding his face with one arm while extending the other in some hopeless attempt to block the attack.

Nothing.

No pain. No sound. No movement.

Flug hesitantly opened one eye, then the other, to evaluate the situation. 

The tentacles had froze midair. Flug realized that he had come into contact with one with his extended hand. If he had to guess, that must’ve been the reason for the sudden stop. He looked over to Black Hat.

The demon was shaking, but not from rage, even if that might be what his frustratedly twisted expression may lead one to believe.

Flug swallowed a lump in his throat, then hesitantly continued towards the eldritch, running his hand gently along the tentacle as he moved.

“ _G_ _et out….!!_ ” Black Hat repeated weakly, unable to find the fire that had burning under him mere moments ago.

Flug shook his head, continuing his slow advance.

“Just…. just  _go away_ ….!” The demon was losing every inch of undirected rage he had before as Flug drew nearer, and it showed in his voice, or rather, lack thereof. “ _Get out…!_  Get out…..”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Flug repeated. By the time he reached the side of Black Hat’s desk he paused, but continued to gently stroke the tentacle his hand was on. At this point, Black Hat was glaring down at his desk, shaking. He couldn’t utter another demand, couldn’t even bring himself to keep growling.

“Black Hat…?” Flug whispered softly, tilting his head. With slow, precise movements, he took a few steps closer until he was right at the demon’s side.

The eldritch was starting to feel that familiar weight in his chest. He growled weakly in frustration.  _Not again. Not in front of **him**. Why is this  **happening!?**_

Flug bit his lip. He raised a hand and, with great hesitance, placed it on Black Hat’s shoulder.

That was the breaking point. He couldn’t stop the choked sob that left him, which only made him angrier. He turned his head away from Flug, cursing. “ _Fuck….!!_ ” In his frustration, he unsheathed his claws and started to reach for his eye.

His employee’s eyes widened with alarm as the claws came out.  _“HEY!”_  Flug immediately grabbed his arm to stop him, holding on firmly.

Black Hat froze, gaze still  _very_ pointed away from him.

The scientist sighed quietly with relief, shuddering slightly from the close call. “D-Do…  _not…_ d-do that….” Slowly, he lowered the demon’s hand to place down on the desk again. He tried once more to initiate eye contact. “H-Hey…. Black Hat, l-look at me…”

Nothing.

Again, Flug bit his lip, letting out another quiet sigh. He lifted his hand to the other’s chin, feeling the demon tense up as he did so… and ever so gently, turned Black Hat’s face towards him.

Turquoise-tinted tears rolled down from his visible eye. He didn’t even look angry anymore. Just….  _broken_.

“Oh, Black Hat…” Flug whispered, brushing a thumb along his cheek. Even not knowing what was going on, he could feel his heart break for the demon. The scientist leaned against him, other arm wrapping around him comfortingly, both gestures getting another weak crying noise out of him.

Fuck Flug for always seeing him at such  _disgusting_ low points. This is  _not_ a pattern Black Hat likes.

But, yet a-fucking-gain, he found himself so,  _so_ in need of the contact.  _Especially_ after the past month. As much as he felt like he wanted to shove Flug away, he leaned into the scientist’s touch with a muffled sob and clung to his arm, eyes squeezing shut. Conceding to the moment, he finally spoke again, voice barely coherent anymore, but filled with desperation. “ _Please don’t leave me…..!_ ”

Flug’s eyes went wide as he looked to his boss’s face again, his own voice painted with utter confusion. “W…  _What….?_ ”

Just like that, everything started pouring out. “I  _need_ you, Flug…! I know I said I didn’t, but it’s  _not t-true_ ….!” Black Hat’s grip tightened, as if letting go meant losing him forever. “I’ve  _n-never_  needed anyone before– I-I just– I don’t know what’s  _happening_ to me, I j-just–” He shook his head, trembling. “I-I’m  _sorry_ –Please,  _please_ d-don’t–!” He broke off, words becoming harder to understand with each breath, and just broke down in the scientist’s arms.

“Hey, w-woah now…” Flug stuttered, reaching a thumb up to his face again to wipe away the tears. “I-I don’t  _want_ to leave you, why would you even  _think_ that…? W-Where’s all this coming from, huh…?” When he didn’t get an answer, he let out a slow breath. “H-Here, let’s just…” Very gentle still, Flug pulled him back down into the chair, crouching to stay level with Black Hat as he did so.

When Flug started to pull away, Black Hat went rigid and tightened his grip more, a low whimper escaping him.

“Hey, hey…. I-I’m not going anywhere, I promise…” Flug reassured him. He placed a soft kiss on the eldritch’s cheek, slowly moving out of Black Hat’s grip to get into a better position. He stepped around the chair and settled himself into Black Hat’s lap, leaning against his chest feeling the demon’s breath hitch as he rested his head against the crook of his neck. “There we go…” Flug whispered, closing his eyes with a sigh. “Better than standing.”

Black Hat didn’t know how to react, that much was painfully obvious. So he just kind of…. hunched over and curled up into what would’ve been a sad empty ball if not for the doctor in his arms.

Another sigh came from Flug. “It’s okay…” His soft voice comforted the lamenting demon, and he reached over to brush the back of his fingers soothingly along Black Hat’s cheek. “Just let it out, sir….”

How long they stayed like that, neither of them could tell.

Black Hat’s a quiet crier, Flug noted. Whether that was out of humiliation at the act of crying itself or just how he does it in  _general_ , the doctor had no idea. But he seemed to have calmed down after some time, the two of them now completely silent. Flug stared wonderingly at the eldritch’s face, Black Hat staring darkly at nothing in particular.

“…… I-It’s kind of ironic.” Flug said under his breath, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I-I mean, you’re  _Black Hat._  You could take your pick of pretty much anybody you  _want_ , a-and here you are worried about losing someone like  _me?_ ” He chuckled weakly.

“I don’t  _want_ anybody else.” Black Hat muttered, not returning eye contact. His grip did tighten slightly, however. “Nobody else can make me feel like you do.”

 _That_ certainly made Flug blush, even if it’s not necessarily new information to him. “O-Oh….” was all he managed to say.

Again they were silent.

“……. You won’t…..  _tell_ anyone about this, right…” Black Hat muttered, gesturing bitterly to his eye. “The…  _ugh_ …. 'crying’ thing and all….” He sounded utterly disgusted with himself just having to  _make_ such a request.

“Of course. But there’s no  _shame_ in it, you know.”

“…. I have a reputation to uphold….”

“Hey, you’re  _Black Hat_.” Flug smirked slightly. “You can do whatever the hell you  _want_.” His expression turned a little more serious. “Being upset doesn’t make you  _weak_.”

“….. mm….” The demon leaned his head against Flug’s, eyes closed. “Try telling that to  _yourself_ once in a while.”

There was a light undertone of humor to that comment that Flug was relieved to hear. Closing his eyes for a moment as well, he chuckled, “Touché.”

More silence.

At some point, Flug began to frown, thinking over the events leading up to this. Things were slowly starting to make sense. The strange behavior, the paycheck raise, the denial…. It all seemed to be rooting from this strange idea Black Hat got in his head of Flug wanting to  _leave_ him?

The scientist reached up to gently tilt his boss’s face towards him again. “So what’s been putting all these thoughts in your head, hmm…?” He questioned quietly. “It can’t just be coming out of  _nowhere_ , right…..?”

Black Hat’s eyes darted away. He made no comment. Whatever it was had obviously hit him hard, but he sure as  _hell_ wasn’t about to admit anything.

Flug’s frown deepened. Looks like he’d have to figure this one out himself. He let the other look away again and go back to his huddled position and tapped his own chin, eyes narrowing in deep thought.

This couldn’t all have rooted from those comments Ethereal Maw made…?

No…. Even before that party, Black Hat had started behaving weirdly….. Ever since that fight with the mindreader–

_Mindreader._

It finally clicked.

“ _That BITCH!!!_ ”

The outburst actually gave Black Hat a jolted startle. Flug  _never_ shouts. And hardly  _ever_ curses. Um.

“What did she tell you, Black Hat?” Flug demanded, a newfound determination giving him an unusual air of forcefulness.

No response.

“Did  _she_ tell you I want to leave you?”

A subtle flinch, but otherwise, still nothing.

Not quite that then, but Flug could tell he wasn’t far off.

“ _Hey_.” For a third time, Flug turned the other’s head towards him. “Black Hat,  _you listen to me right now_. Whatever Claire said, she  _lied_ to you. She  _lied,_ trying to get under your skin, okay? Don’t you even think for a  _second_ that she was being anything other than manipulative and opportunistic.  _She lied to you_.” He lightly pressed his forehead against the eldritch’s, closing his eyes and speaking with absolute sincerity. “ _I love you_ , Black Hat. I love you  _s_ _o much_.”

Despite how long they’ve been together now, it was the first time either of them had said that. Flug never thought it would be something the demon  _needed_ to hear. But judging from how he basically broke down at those words alone, Flug was massively mistaken.

“I love you….” Flug repeated softly, letting the demon hug him tightly as he cried for the second time that day.

~~~~~~~~~~

It was a slow bounceback. Black Hat was quieter than usual, more distant, even awkward in a way, but slowly and surely, he was gradually starting to act like his normal self again.

Flug was patient. He understood that this was all new to him. It must be overwhelming, going through a flood of totally brand new and bizarre emotions, especially all at once like this. He gave the demon whatever space he needed, and in the meantime, worked on his latest…. “project”.

—

“You’ve been working on this for days. What  _is_ it?” Black Hat finally had to ask, leaning over the doctor’s shoulder to eye at the flask this mystery mixture was in. He’d been peeking into the lab every so often during Flug’s free time these past few days, lest that be just to see Flug or to check up on his work, and curiosity was starting to get the better of him.

“Got the idea from that little 'stunt’ you pulled at the Dapperton’s.” Flug smirked, rummaging through drawers of obscurely labeled vials and containers, pulling out one labelled 'sodium pentothal’ and adding it to the mixture. “I borrowed one of the extra samples of truth serum that Dem stole. Replicating it’s been a piece of cake.”

One of Black Hat’s eyebrows raised slightly in confusion. Clearly this wasn’t for selling purposes, they can’t exactly sell somebody else’s product as their own so easily. “… What is this for?”

Flug’s eyes narrowed, keeping steady at work. “That damn Claire Vo'Yance. She is  _not_ going to get away with spreading her lies– I’ll  _make_ her tell you the truth if it’s the last thing I–”

The doctor paused when his boss hugged him from behind, resting his head on Flug’s shoulder with a sigh. “…. I  _do_ believe you over her, you know.” He muttered. “You don’t have to  _prove_ anything.”

“…….” Flug slowly put aside his tools, shifting slightly to lean into his embrace. “It’s not a matter of you simply  _believing_ me, but…. For the record… you couldn’t even tell me what she  _said_ to you.” He said quietly, studying the other’s eyes. Black Hat looked away, unable to argue that point, and Flug sighed. “I-I don’t want to leave  _any_ room for doubt here. That’s why I want to do this - It’s important. And besides, I’d want to track her down again either way, because….” He tilted his head, light reflecting off his goggles in a somehow malicious-looking way. “… the thought of letting her  _live_ after all this _pisses me the hell off._ ”

The eldritch blinked. A slow grin slid across his face, he nuzzled his employee’s bag affectionately with a low purr. “Has anyone ever told you how  _ravishing_ you are when you’re looking for revenge?”

Flug returned the grin, snickering. “I can’t say that I’ve had the honor of hearing such a  _specific_ compliment 'til now, no.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes.

 _Yes_.

Finally the replication was done. It took him until four that morning, but if he got all the specifications  _just_ right (which he was pretty sure he did), then this truth serum should work just as well as it did at the Dapperton’s.

Now all he needed was to test it. But on who?

5.0.5. would probably be willing, but he doesn’t even  _talk_ , let alone  _lie_. He might have to ask Demencia, or–

A quick beep from one of his computer monitors distracted him from his ponderings for a moment. Flug wheeled his chair over to the corresponding keyboard, typing up a few commands and getting a visual of live security footage of the manor’s surroundings. The system automatically zoomed in on a  _painfully_ unsubtle hero lurking about outside, obviously looking for the most convenient point of entry to sneak in. When will they ever learn that those loudly-colored costumes are the  _worst_ for stealth?

Minorly annoyed at the interruption, Flug sighed and reached into a drawer to rummage out his extermination system activation button, but paused. He could always use the extra prey. Why destroy him then and there?

“Security system for manor outskirts section B, capture the intruder.” He ordered, wheeling his chair back to his desk.

“Hero detained and undergoing transportation to prisoner storage. Protocol Code: Lizard ready to be initiated should any disturbances occur.”

Flug let the audio play if only as a momentary background noise, but then he paused again, struck by a moment of thoughtfulness. Leaning forward slightly, he commanded, “Actually, System B…. redirect the hero’s destination to my lab.”

The computer made a beeping noise of acknowledgment of the order, and Flug slid his chair back over to the lab table, picking up a syringe and filling it with the serum. Why bother the sleeping Demencia when he could use this intruder himself?

It wasn’t long before the hero was delivered to his laboratory by a security bot, expertly tied up and gagged.

Ugh. These gaudy outfits of theirs get weirder and weirder. This guy had an obnoxiously sparkly purple cape, pointy neon-framed shades, the typical spandex suit with a chest logo and good  _god_ , was he _serious_ with that flashy belt buckle? Do they even  _realize_ how ridiculous they look half the time?

…… Not that Flug could really judge, he realized. He wears a paper bag over his head, after all.

Shooing the robot away, Flug dragged the struggling hero by his cape across the floor and hoisted him up none too gently onto what seemed to be an operating table. He then walked away to retrieve the syringe he filled, back turned to his victim. The syringe, however, he slipped into his pocket. It was a scalpel he took into his hand.

“You have  _impeccable_ timing, you know.” Flug commented casually, walking back towards the hero with unreadable eyes, scalpel twirling in his fingers. The unnerved look his victim gave the blade was  _immensely_ satisfying. “Here I was thinking I’d have to go out and kidnap someone to test this, but lo and behold, you waltz right up to our humble abode and save me the trouble.” When he reached the table’s edge, he leaned in close and smirked. “How considerate of you.”

The hero shot him a defying glare, growling something muffled beneath the gag.

Flug’s smile widened. Having these superpowered self-righteous vigilantes at his mercy was one of the few things that could bring such an absolute, almost  _eery_ calm to the scientist. And this one’s hopeless defiance only made him all that more amusing. “Now now, let me get that for you.” The doctor chirped in just the  _fakest_ polite tone. He lifted the scalpel to the hero’s face, and in one swift movement, slashed the bind from his mouth, nicking his skin in the process and earning a startled yip from him.

“What do you want from me?” The hero growled once he could speak, eyes narrowing.

Flug’s expression fell flat for just a moment, unimpressed. “Seriously?  _You’re_  the one who tried to break in, may I remind you.” His callous smile quickly returned, expertly riddling his scalpel along his fingers and lavishing in the obvious discomfort it brought his victim. “As for what I  _want from you_ … Well, I don’t ask much.” Circling the table, Flug traced his knife along the squirming hero’s cape. “You work with Claire Vo'Yance, yeah? Same purple color scheme, attempting to infiltrate the manor  _suspiciously_ close after our encounter with her…. I wouldn’t call that a coincidence.”

It was hardly even an educated guess, really. But judging from the bitter silence he got in response, Flug could assume he was correct.

There was a soft, ominous grinding sound of metal against metal as Flug dragged the scalpel lightly across the table and near the hero’s neck. “All I ask is where I might find her. We have some unfinished business, you see.”

“Fuck you.”

Ha. Just the sort of response Flug was looking for. What kind of truth serum test would this be if his subject just told the truth right away?

Lucky for the vigilante, Flug’s bag concealed the terrifyingly devilish fanged grin that now bedecked his face. “Aww, now  _that’s_  not nice.” The other man winced as Flug moved the hand with the scalpel, probably expecting some kind of torture, but was confused when his captor actually took the tool away. Whatever relief he could’ve felt fleeted as the doctor exchanged it for the syringe in his pocket.

“W-What is that?” He asked, his attempt not to sound nervous futile.

“Why should I answer your questions when you won’t even answer mine? Hardly seems fair, does it?” Flug leaned in with a snicker, pulling up the hero’s sleeve to find a good injection point. “Let’s just say that this might make you a tad more….  _talkative_.” With that, the needle was plunged into his test subject’s flesh.

It worked like a charm. Once the serum took effect, this guy was singing like a bird. Flug almost surprised himself with how well it turned out.

He basically got Claire’s whole daily routine out of the man, and then some. Apparently she does laundry on Sundays. Good to know…?

“Well, that about does it…” Flug concluded, drumming his fingers along the table’s edge. “Oh, except….. One last  _teensy tiny question_ ….” He leaned in until his paper bag was mere inches from the hero’s face, but even then his eyes could not be distinguished from that cold, soulless glint that concealed them in the goggles’ glass.  _“Are you afraid?”_

An audible gulp was enough to answer  _that_ question. “Yes.”

“Good, good….” Flug pushed up his bag just enough to show his fangs, leaned in to the hero’s ear and hissed, “ _You should be._ ”

His victim’s scream was cut short before it could even be made, Flug’s teeth digging into his neck to silence him. A shudder went through his body as he felt the life drain out of the hero and into him, rejuvenated by the consumption of a new soul.

Releasing his teeth’s grip on the corpse, he took a corner of the guy’s cape into his hand, using it to wipe away the blood on his mouth instead of his sleeve. Blood takes forever to wash out of his white labcoats, so–

“Exquisite.”

“ _Yeep!_ ” Flug whipped around, startled, and saw Black Hat lingering in the shadows, grinning at him. “O-Oh, I d-didn’t know you were– H-How long have you been there?”

“The security bot dragged him right by my office.” Black Hat chuckled, walking over and slinging an arm around Flug’s shoulder as he admired the lifeless mass before them. Leaning in to give the doctor’s bag a little peck, he purred, “Naturally I had to come see my malevolent doctor at work.~”

“Pfft. Naturally.” Flug laughed under his breath, happily leaning against the larger man’s body. At least Black Hat seems happier tonight, even if it took fucking with some intruder to do it.

“……. So.” The doctor spoke, ominously quieter this time. “Now that my 'test run’ is done…” He brushed his thumb along the needle tip of his syringe. “….. care to join me for the final go?”

Black Hat’s grin widened, sharing in the doctor’s malevolence. “I would like nothing more.”

~~~~~~~~

It was the following morning that they headed out. They really need to come up with better excuses for disappearing together all the time than 'business trips’ or 'customer meetings’. Demencia’s going to start getting suspicious sooner or later, and the couple are fairly sure 5.0.5.’s started catching on already… but perhaps some other time. 'Going on a vengeance trip on some hero that fucked up our relationship that you totally didn’t even know about, be back by dinner, guard the manor, byyye’ seems like an awkward way to start.

“According to that flashy cape-wearing eggplant, Claire does routine border checks along the edges of GuardianGates HQ every day at noon sharp.” Flug mused as he fiddled with some extra dart-like projectiles in the spare compartment of his device. It was small, handheld, looked like a gun of sorts. Red and, of course, high-tech-looking.

Black Hat fished a golden gem-embroidered pocket watch out of his coat. “That gives us a total of two minutes to admire the…  _scenery_.” He commented, dropping that last word with an unimpressed snort.

GuardianGates was your typical hero-based establishment. The building was tall and extravagant-looking, made almost entirely of glass (probably industrial-strength, at least) and with a massive 'GG’ logo square in the middle of it. The building’s walkway and territory borders in general were surrounded by symmetrically aligned evergreens, and laced with beautiful, lavish assortments of flowers. So obviously, Black Hat found it all repulsive.

“Oops~” The demon purred as he stuck his cane in the soil, all flowers near it wilting instantly.

“Pfft.” Flug snickered, rolling his eyes. “Careful now, harming the plant life might be a  _criminal offense_  punishable by _mindfuckery_.”

“Oh no, how  _horrid_ of me to commit such a  _heinous_ crime!” Black Hat gasped, anything but horrified. “Fret not, I’ll  _fix_ it!” He raised his hand, about to snap like he does when he rematerializes broken things, but when his fingers clicked, the whole section of plant life went up in flames. His grin stretched to a comical size. “Oh  _dear_ , I am just a  _klutz_ today!”

“ _Pfffffft–_ ” The doctor couldn’t contain his laughter at that point, the both of them probably looking like ridiculous chucklefucks next to the blazing fire. Their laughter was cut short when a bubble of bright pink energy formed around the fire to contain and suffocate it.

“Well well well.” Black Hat purred, grin widening. “Looks like our  _dear friend_  has finally showed up.”

 _Where_ she was hiding still wasn’t clear. Her voice echoed through the clearing telepathically. “Had a feeling you two would show up sooner or later….” Her tone was still annoyingly poised in the face of her opposition, but there was a certain air of…  _unease_. There was no doubt that she had guessed they were here for vengeance. “So. How did you know where to find me?”

Black Hat twirled his cane in his hand idly. His attention seemed to be grabbed by a row of evergreens across from Flug and himself. “Oh, a little associate of yours (eccentrically dressed little thing, I must say) was kind enough to drop by last night, and you  _just so happened_  to be a topic of conversation that popped up.” He explained, tone patronizing. His grin widened. “Don’t be expecting him  _back_ anytime soon, by the way.”

Claire would’ve facepalmed if she weren’t trying to keep herself hidden. “I  _told_ him that was a bad idea…”

“Y-You don’t sound particularly broken up about his loss,” Flug commented, fiddling eagerly with the device in his hands.

“I was ready for the news.” Her somber voice replied. “Had a sinking feeling he’d ignore my warnings…”

Black Hat clacked his cane to the ground. He was getting bored with this. “So, it’s been nice 'chatting’ and all….” He grinned, “….but I think I’d like to get down to business now.”

Without any chance for preparation, Black Hat gave the cane a swing. A black energy wave burst from the tool like a whirlwind, effortlessly ripping away at the trees he’d been eying.

As he expected, the purple-dressed little brat was forced to dart away from her hiding place behind one of them. Target now exposed, the demon let a flurry of tentacles emerge from his back, lashing at the psychic. Just like last time, she teleported at all the right moments to just barely avoid getting hit.

The supervillain certainly kept her busy. He didn’t even give her a  _fraction_ of a second to relax in her new location before a tentacle or circle saw was launched at her and forcing her to teleport again. Yet, there were very specific… almost  _intentional_ -seeming openings for her to take. It was impossible to tell for sure, but it almost seemed like Black Hat was leading her along a  _specific_ path.

Frustratingly, she was too preoccupied with avoiding getting bashed out of the air to get a clear mindread on him and see what he was up to.

“As much as I enjoy a good scrimmage…..” Black Hat’s teeth glinted in a wickedly vile grin. “…..my dear doctor has something  _else_ in mind for you.”

“The doc–!?” Claire whipped around to face the opponent she’d so mistakenly neglected to consider, but it was too late.

Flug fired his gun with impeccable aim, landing a dart square in the heroine’s neck. Disoriented, she clutched her neck, wavering in the air. The moment of distraction was more than enough for Black Hat to finally get ahold of her. Slick, black tentacles coiled around her waist and mercilessly slammed her into the cement walkway.

“I was wondering…. when you’d….. make something other than a dumb  _ray_ gun….” The psychic coughed, sarcasm evident in her unimpressed glare as Flug strode over to her. Feeling nauseous, she weakly plucked the dart from her neck, still seeming terribly unconcerned about the direness of the situation. “So what’s this, then…?”

The doctor knelt down on the ground next to her, Black Hat towering over the both of them. Flug’s eyes narrowed hatefully. “You told my boss some  _very_ untrue information.” He growled. “You’re going to tell him the  _truth_ about how I feel towards himnow.”

Ah. A truth serum. Guess the jig is up.

“………. Black Hat.” Claire tilted her head to gaze up at the demon, whose smile had been replaced with a more serious expression. “I  _did_ lie about Flug. He doesn’t feel trapped with you - on the contrary. He feels  _safe_. The love he feels for you is sincere, and… honestly, strong to a point that I really don’t get.” Her next sentence was a quiet mutter. “ _Seriously_ have no idea what he sees in you….”

A quick kick from Flug quickly stopped her from following  _that_ tangent.

“ _However…..”_ She went on, giving the doctor an annoyed glare before looking to Black Hat again, “….. I stand by everything I said about  _you_ , and everything I said about this relationship being a  _train wreck._ ”

Flug frowned, giving the demon a confused and concerned glance. Black Hat’s eyes narrowed at the hero, a low growl seeping from his throat. His grip around Claire’s waist tightened.

The psychic was finding it increasingly hard to breathe, but otherwise continued speaking as if nothing was wrong. “What are you going to do when you make a mistake he can’t forgive? What are you going to do when he  _dies?_  You’re bound to outlive him, after all.” Taking as deep a breath as she could, Claire smiled. “You  _still_ have no idea what you’re doing, and you  _certainly_ have no idea how to deal with all these….” She chuckled, “….  _feelings_.”

Patience never was Black Hat’s strong suit, and in this case, it appears to be running out very quickly. He raised the girl up in the air, and then brought her crashing down into the ground as hard as he could.

Her body shattered in a burst of pink shards, scattering across the ground like broken glass.

Black Hat’s tentacles withdrew back into his body. “…… Well. I do hope you were done with her.”

“Um…… Yeah…… Got, uh, got the answers we were looking for, right…..?”  Flug offered the eldritch a small smile as he stood up, grasping his hand. “Told you I loved you.”

“… Mhm.” Black Hat closed his eyes and sighed, then returned the smile. “That you did.”

Business here over and done with, they proceeded to make their way back to the manor.

——

“That was a bit too close for comfort, if you ask me.”

“Oh, please. You wouldn’t have cared if  _I_ died, just that your dirt on Black Hat would’ve died  _with_ me.”

Claire watched through the glass of GuardianGate’s top floor as Black Hat and Flug walked away from the mess they left.

“Hmm.” The second voice hummed thoughtfully from the shadows, not confirming nor denying her claim. “Well, the point is that you’re off the hook. As long as they think you’re dead, they won’t come after you again.

Claire rolled her eyes.

"Come.” The voice spoke up again, razor-sharp light blue fangs bared in a pleased grin. “We have much to discuss.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The walk back had been a quiet one so far. Flug glanced over at Black Hat every few minutes.

“…… We’ll make this work.” He said quietly. “We have been so far.”

The eldritch stared at him for a moment, then looked ahead. He simply nodded.

“It’s okay that this is new to you.”

Black Hat hesitated with a response. After a moment, he just nodded again.

“And Black Hat?” Flug stopped walking, causing the demon to stop in turn. He glanced back at the scientist, head tilted in confusion. “The next time something like this happens again, you  _talk to me_. I won’t  _judge_ you. It’s  _okay_ to be confused about how you’re feeling sometimes. Just talk to me, and I’ll help you. Okay? Promise?”

“….. I don’t really…  _make_ promises.” Black Hat muttered, looking away.

“It’s never too late to start.”

The familiar phrase got a small laugh out of him. He leaned over and kissed the top of Flug’s bag.

“Fine, fine. I promise.”


End file.
